It was Christmas 1961. I was teaching in a small town in Ohio where my twenty seven third graders eagerly anticipated the great day of gift giving.

Each day the children made some new wonder – strings of popcorn, hand-made decorations, and German bells made from wallpaper samples, which we hung from the ceiling. Through it all she stayed indifferent(漠不关心的), watching from afar, seemingly miles away. I wondered what would happen to this quiet child, once so happy, now so suddenly unsociable. I hoped the festivities would light her up. But nothing did.

The day of gift giving finally came. We oohed and aahed over our handwork as the presents were exchanged. Through it all, she sat quietly watching. I had made a special package for her, red and green with white lace. I wanted very much to see her smile. She opened it so slowly and carefully. I waited but she turned away.

After school the children left in little groups, but she hesitated, watching them go out of the door. I sat down to catch my breath, hardly know what was happening when she came to me reaching out her hands, holding a small white box, unwrapped and slightly soiled, as though it had been held many times by unwashed, childish hands. “For me?” I asked with a weak smile. She said not a word, but nodded her head. I took the box and carefully opened it. There inside, lay a golden chain. In a flash I knew – she had made it for her mother, a mother she would never see again, a mother who would never hold her or brush her hair or share a funny story, a mother who would never again hear her childish joys or sorrows, a mother who had taken her own life just three weeks before.

I held out the chain. She took it in both her hands, reached forward, and put it on at the back of my neck. She stepped back then as if to see that all was well. I looked down at the golden chain, then back at the giver, “Maria, it is so beautiful. She would have loved it.” Neither of us could stop the tears. She threw herself into my arms and we were in tears together. And for that moment I became her mother, for she had given me the greatest gift of all: herself.

1.The underlined “anticipated” (Paragraph 1) is closest in meaning to _________.

A．prepared         B．expected          C．talked            D．kept

2.We can learn from the story that_________.

A．the beautiful chain was put inside a beautiful box

B．Maria made a golden chain of popcorn for her mother

C．the teacher made a special package for Maria so as to see her smile

D．Maria oohed and aahed over the handwork as the presents were exchanged

3.Maria became quiet and unsociable because_________.

A．she was a shy girl

B．her teacher didn’t give her any gift

C．her mother passed away three weeks ago

D．she didn’t have any friends in the class

4.The underlined sentence (Paragraph 5) mostly means_________.

A．Maria found her biological mother

B．Maria asked her teacher to be her mother

C．the teacher promised to be Maria’s mother after receiving her greatest gift

D．Maria believed in her considerate teacher and opened her heart to the teacher

5.The BEST title for the passage is _________.

A．The kid’s gift                          B．A quiet girl

C．The greatest teacher                     D．The great day of gift giving

In the morning, Slim got up and prepared breakfast for his wife as usual. Nicole, his wife was listening to music in the bedroom. __1._, he felt that his body was shaking. Slim had the __2.__ response that there was an earthquake! He __3.__ quickly: “Dear, earthquake! Go to the toilet！” Nicole heard the shouting, 4. the first aid box quickly and ran into the toilet. The house was 5. even more dramatically (剧烈地)．

Bathroom was the next door to the kitchen. Slim picked up a kitchen __6.__ and two pieces of bread outside the kitchen. Slim tried to __7.__ along the wall to help Nicole.__8.__, it got dark suddenly with an explosion. The house __9._____down and many things fell from above. Nicole was quickly buried in 10. .She felt breathing very difficult. She tried to stand up, but  11.  .

A few minutes later, the land was __12..Nicole heard the sound of short __13._ and thought it was Slim! She shouted to him but no __14.__！ He probably fainted. Nicole kept saying his name and she finally heard a response, two people encouraged and __15.__ each other. They knew that there must be a way to   16. .

Slim found that they were close and were   17.  by the fallen stones and some powder. He started to dig with the kitchen knife. He felt __18.__ from his fingers. Finally, he removed the last piece of larger stones. Slim touched Nicole's one hand, then dug the __19.__ stones of her body. Finally, Nicole had a __20.__ breathing slowly. Two people sat on the ground and hugged together.

21.               A．Suddenly       B．Actually        C．Unfortunately   D．Really

22.               A．recent         B．rapid           C．late   D．slow

23.               A．warned        B．howled         C．jumped   D．shouted

24.               A．used up        B．found out       C．took up   D．put away

25.               A．burning        B．falling          C．shaking    D．moving

26.               A．tool           B．cook           C．fork  D．knife

27.               A．walk           B．wander         C．run   D．jump

28.               A．However       B．Therefore       C．Instead    D．Besides

29.               A．lay            B．crashed        C．broke D．bent

30.               A．ruins          B．ashes          C．dirt   D．pieces

31.               A．senseless       B．impossible      C．impractical D．invaluable

32.               A．normal         B．usual          C．flat   D．silent

33.               A．steps          B．breath         C．movements D．pauses

34.               A．response       B．sign           C．hope D．result

35.               A．touched        B．held           C．calmed    D．called

36.               A．relax          B．communicate    C．succeed   D．escape

37.               A．wrapped       B．separated       C．fastened   D．limited

38.               A．pain           B．cold           C．water D．warmth

39.               A．sticking         B．beating         C．surrounding    D．spreading

40.               A．complete       B．constant        C．steady D．weak

　　Twenty year ago, I drove a cab for a living. I met people whose lives amazed me made me ___(1)___ and weep. But none touched me more than a woman I ___(2)___ up late one August night.

　　I was responding to a call in a quiet part of town. When I arrived at 2: 30 am, the building was ___(3)____ except for a single light in a ground floor window. I walked to the door and ___(4)____.

　　The door opened. A small, woman in her eighties ___(5)____ before me. By her side was a small suitcase. I took the suitcase to the ___(6)___, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked ___(7)____ toward the cab. She kept ____(8)____ me for my kindness.

　　When we got in the cab, she gave me a(n) __(9)____ and, asked,“Can you drive through downtown?”

　　For the next two hours, we drove _____(10)____ the city. She showed me the building where she had ____(11)___ worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived ___(12)____ they were newlyweds. She ____(13)___ me pull up in front of a house that had once been a ballroom where she had gone ____(14)____ as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building and would sit _____(15)____ into the darkness, saying nothing.

　　As the day ___(16)____, we got to the address she had given me. It was a hospice（临终关怀医院）. Two orderlies came out to the cab as ___(17)___ as we pulled up. They must have been ____(18)___ her. I took the small suitcase to the door.

　　“You gave an old woman a little moment of __(19)______,”she said.“Thank you.”I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the ___(20)____ of a life. I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought.